Words have Power
Feb 25, 2016
Words have Power
In the beginning was the Word…
John 1 : 1
Sanskrit
The Scottish
play
Language separates us from animals
Too simple
Too complex
The problem of meaning
Brown house
Cave under the mountain
Too complexhidden cultural meaning & understanding
What’s the difference between a devout believer and a fanatic?
Too complexCultural meaning
What’s the difference between a terrorist and a freedom fighter?
Too complexHistorical meaning
What’s the difference between nigger and nigga?
Too complexPersonal meaning
Cultural capital
Add examples here.
Writing is actually a simple symbol system for much more complex concepts
Too simpleWords are merely symbols
Cat
Animal sounds are symbolic of the real thing
Too simple
CatDogDuckMouseCow
Language is fraught with complexity &
nuance
The problem of meaning
Language is fraught with literal
simplicity
Art
The problem of meaning
Love
Knowledge
Advertising
Language is easily manipulated
Advertising
Politics
So what use is it?
Language provides a structure for our sensory perception
& Language allows us to logically link
various concepts&
Language allows us to share our ideas with others
Random Words
www.edwarddebono.com
Give students a list of five random words,
e.g. Box; Cow; Sunshine; Beyond; Fence
And ask them to:
-Show how any or all of the words connect to one another.
- Explain how they may influence one another.
- Suggest how they might link to the learning.
- Create a story encompassing all the words.
- Mind-map the connotations of each word and then analyse the links between them.
Adapted from an idea by Edward De Bono – a super author for all
things thinking.